Motivating people to protect themselves: The case of the first lockdown in France

Abstract

This research mobilizes the terror management model in health care to study the scope and limitations of using threat-solution pairs in public communication in times of crisis and to identify levers that are likely to encourage appropriate behaviors by examining the extreme case of the first lockdown (March-May 2020) in France. A qualitative study was conducted during the first lockdown in France using an exploratory phase of observing online conversations, followed by 17 semistructured interviews with citizens. The results show that people were encouraged to comply with the lockdown by government communication based on a discourse classically used in public health that consists of agitating a threat and proposing a solution. However, the limits of this communication were demonstrated, leading some people to mobilize other resources: a community of destiny and a calmer relationship with death. This research challenges the staying power of an approach that relies solely on the activation of proximal defenses and shows the value of activating distal defenses in times of crisis. From a theoretical standpoint, this approach offers an in-depth understanding of how distal defenses function. From a managerial point of view, new avenues for action and public crisis communication are suggested. Specifically, following an immediate response, communication must help individuals regain control, be agile and differentiated according to individuals, and involve local authorities and, more broadly, local stakeholders.